Treatments

Storage of Sperm

You and your partner may wish to store sperms in the laboratory if your partner cannot be present for some reason during your treatment cycle, if he has had difficulty in producing semen previously or if previous tests have confirmed that there have been problems with semen analysis or production. A single man may also wish to store his semen for future use under reasonable circumstances.

You and your partner may use your sperm at any time, either here or at any other licensed clinic. The children resulting from such use will be your legal children. There is a separate information sheet available for you relating to the legal situation should a child be conceived from the posthumous use of your sperm (that is after you have deceased).

You will be asked to sign a Consent form which defines your wishes relating to the use of your sperm after your death and the subsequent birth registration of the child. Ideally, the samples should be produced in the laboratory, as the results tend to be better. There needs to be two or three days abstention before producing a sample.

You are free at any time to withdraw or vary your consent to store or use your sperm unless, of course, the sperm has already been used in treatment. Counselling is available should you require it. This will further outline the implications of the proposed course of action for you, your family and any children.

The maximum period that the law allows for storage of the semen is ten years, or until you reach the age of 55, whichever comes first. If the samples are used to produce embryos, then these may be kept frozen for 10 years from that time. You may store your sperm for less than the maximum period if you wish.

You must be aware that there is an annual storage fee which you will need to pay every year for your sperm to remain in storage. You may make the decision about storage separately from the decision about your consent to the use of the sperm and you must make a decision as to what is to be done with the sperm if you die, or become incapable of varying or revoking your consent.

It should be understood that all discussions, information during counselling, etc, will remain entirely confidential. Our centre does not carry out any form of research involving the sperm stored.